Educating Daniel Jackson
by drgemini86
Summary: Set in season 10, after witnessing a private moment between Sam and Jack, Daniel leaves the SGC and Earth, and loses himself on an alien world. Will his friends find him again and set him straight? SamJack  not for SamJack fans, DanielOC, SamDaniel
1. Chapter 1

Daniel made his way to Sam's lab, hoping to clarify a few technical details within a report he held in his hand, which detailed a device that SG-1 had picked up on their recent travels. He found the door ajar and slowly made to peek in, wondering if anything was wrong as the Colonel almost always kept her door open. However he paused when he heard Jack's voice from within,

"So… the regulations aren't an issue any more what with me not _directly_ being in your chain of command any more, so I was hoping that you and I could… you know… move onwards."

Daniel's heart felt as though it was about to drop straight down into his stomach. _He_ had had feelings for Sam for far longer than even he had known himself, but he was too scared to tell her. Funny, he thought, how he could taunt the bastard that stole his wife and yet he was scared of telling his best friend of his long held feelings for her.

He knew though that for as long as he could remember, it had always been _Jack and Sam_… even when she had been seeing Pete, or even well before that when she had had brief relationships with Martouf and Narim. Jack was always there, even in two alternate universes that they had encountered, and Daniel Jackson had been either dead or not part of the programme.

Not that his presence had made any difference, because even in the alternate universe that Sam experienced where he _had _been a part of the programme, she had been married, and divorced from McKay, of all people. The few alternate Daniels he had talked to a year previously were either:

Still married to and living with Sha're

Married to Sarah

Widowed and withdrawn with unrequited love for their Sams and had watched them marry either a Jack, a Teal'c, a McKay… or even a Cam (the black Sam)

Gay (apparently _that _Daniel had been living with Paul Davies for a few years)

Heck, even the maternity leave Sam had been married to Major Lorne.

It looked as though this Universe or any other for that matter weren't going to give Daniel Jackson PhD3 a break, now or any time soon.

He sighed silently, waiting for Sam's response, quietly mouthing,

"Say no, Sam. Tell him to piss off. Say no."

He peeked in, wondering at the long silence and his eyes widened in surprise on seeing Jack and Sam, the former's arms around the latter as he kissed her. Daniel couldn't get away from there fast enough. He felt dizzy, sick and everything in between. Somewhere back in the deep, dark recesses of his mind, a voice was telling him that he should be happy that two of his best friends had stopped dancing around their feelings and _actually_ did something about it instead of making everyone want to reach for a sick bucket with the little looks. But the rest of him wasn't paying attention to that last remnant of good Daniel.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam couldn't believe it. All these years she had been waiting for this moment, for Jack O'Neill to finally ask her out. She didn't know what to say. He took her stunned silence for nothing more than stunned silence and he kissed her. Then it hit her. All these years she had been waiting for this moment, she had conjured up many different versions of this anticipated moment in her head. When he kissed her, those dreams dissipated into nothing more than just that – dreams. She had to stop it, now. She gently pushed him on his chest, away from her.

He reluctantly pulled back from her, looking at her with a rarely seen earnestness in his features. She closed her eyes briefly before hanging her head in defeat. She didn't know what to say but he read her general demeanour. He said, the hurt and pain of rejection briefly showing in his eyes before being obscured by his natural emotional wall,

"You… you don't feel the same way, do you?"

She shook her head, still unable to speak. She took a deep breath and said, gradually meeting his gaze,

"Sir…"

"Carter…"

"Sorry. Jack… it's not that I'm not flattered, because I am, tremendously. I mean it's been so long since a man seriously took an interest in me but… this just seems so wrong. I can't explain it – call it intuition, instinct or whatever you want. To tell the truth, I have been dreaming of this moment for years but now that it's here… I can't Jack, I'm sorry. I get the feeling that I've been going down the wrong road all these years and I don't know why. It just feels like I've wasted so much time and…"

Suddenly realisation hit her. She knew what she had been missing and it certainly wasn't Major-General Jack O'Neill. Oblivious to her sudden spark of realisation, he turned away from her, clenching his fists, before saying in a dangerously calm voice,

"So… I'm just a waste of time, is that it? Dammit Carter, I'm in love with you."

When she didn't say anything in reply, he slowly turned around to find her with her hand to her head. Thinking that she had a headache he said,

"I think I've got some aspirins…"

She looked up, a smile of disbelief and a hint of disappointment on her face, and exclaimed, mostly to herself,

"Oh my God… I never told him. He was always there and I…"

Curious, Jack asked, "Who?"

Not appearing to have heard him, she continued,

"I've got to tell him after this next mission. Even if he doesn't feel the same way, it doesn't matter because at least I'll have got if off my chest. I know… I have always known what really mattered but I ignored it. Holy Hannah!"

Jack remarked, perplexed,

"Give me a bone here, Carter… Teal'c? Mitchell? Walter? It can't be Daniel…"

She instinctively smiled wider on hearing the last name and he remarked in disbelief,

"Daniel? Are you kidding me?! He's… he's _Daniel_… What…? Oh fer cryin' out loud… so you're telling, or not telling me that all this time that you thought you had been in love with me, you were really _into_ Daniel?"

She nodded and replied, "Yes Sir… I didn't see it before now. I'm so sorry… I didn't want it to come to _this_, but thank you."

She kissed him quickly on the cheek and he eventually smiled at her, bemused, remarking,

"I'll tell you one thing – you're one crazy, crazy woman Carter, and… Daniel would have to be nuts to turn you down."

She looked at him shyly and asked,

"You're not mad?"

"Hell, I can't stay mad at you – you're long overdue for some true happiness. It'll take me a while to get over these feelings I have for you but I've gotta thank you for being honest and not deciding to string me along for the sake of politeness."

She beamed at him, saying, "You're welcome Sir… I hope we can still be friends."

"Of course Carter… actually I'm glad that you haven't really been in love with me all those years what with your guys having a nasty habit of dying. Thinking about it, Daniel's died twice, not counting all those times we had _thought_ he'd died, so you're covered in that respect."

She fought the urge to hug him and said,

"Thanks Sir."

He made to leave, saying as he gazed at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes,

"Anytime."


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel had spent the best part of fifteen minutes vomiting in the close confines of the men's room. Even he was surprised at his own reaction on seeing Sam apparently close one chapter and open another one with regard to Jack. Thankfully the men's room was quiet and empty for the duration of his sick spell. He felt like shouting, screaming, kicking the wall, and crying all at once. His heart felt as though it had dropped straight through his stomach and into his intestines.

When he finished, he cleaned himself up and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His glasses were in the pocket of his BDU jacket, and he just stared at himself. He thought,

"What's wrong with me? Why was I never more than a friend to Sam? I may not be that handsome or even rugged like the generally accepted albeit misguided stereotypes of masculinity but I'm not ugly… I know I'm not ugly. Is it the way I dress? Is it my cologne? Is it because I'm so into my work? That can't be it – she's the biggest workaholic I know, other than myself. What is it then? What does _Major-General_ Jack O'Neill have that I don't?"

"I should've left long before now, when they started obviously dancing around those feelings of theirs. She never saw me as anything but a kid brother that she could use for emotional release and then ignore when she found someone."

He thought back to the times when he had comforted her after each break-up or bereavement: Martouf, Narim, Janet, Pete, and her father. They had ended up sitting on his sofa eating copious amounts of ice cream and chocolate, and watching a chick flick. In Janet's case, they were both in need of comfort and drew it from each other. Was that what he was – a source of comfort and nothing more? A shoulder to cry on but easily cast aside and for the most part ignored when she had found someone else's arms to cry in?

A very vivid example of this had been her relationship with Pete. Daniel still could never understand why she had started a relationship with that man. Sure he was sweet, kind and funny, judging from the few times that he had met him and from the few things that Sam had said, but he wasn't right for her. Within a few minutes of talking to him, Daniel had discerned that at heart the man was a traditionalist, expecting to come home and find dinner on the table, and he knew that that wasn't Sam.

When he had heard that the Cop had attempted to dig into her background, his first reaction was horror and then deep anger. Why couldn't that smiling man have trusted her? Daniel couldn't help thinking that if it had been him, he would never have done that. And then he heard through Jack that Sam had asked his opinion regarding accepting Pete's proposal. He couldn't help but think how wrong that was. Out of everyone on SG-1, Daniel had a far stronger bond with Sam, or so he thought. He was disappointed when she wouldn't confide in him during that year, and accepted _that man's_ proposal at the end of a rescue mission when she _should _have checked if her friend was alright, but no, she had been too busy playing tonsil hockey behind a van, or so he heard via the SGC grapevine.

Whilst that metaphorical plant did spawn some grave inaccuracies and errors, like the one time he was supposed to have had a _special _'nod, nod, wink, wink' arrangement with Jack and Teal'c, it still told the truth sometimes, even if it was distinctly warped as if it had been through a series of shrubberies, hedges, and a game of Chinese Whispers backwards.

And in amongst all that, there was Sam's promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel. Daniel knew fully well that Sam deserved that promotion an infinite times over, but he couldn't help but question Jack's motives behind him conferring such an honour on her so soon after his own promotion. Reynolds, for instance, had seen and had a lot more combat experience than Sam had ever had but yet Jack chose to only promote her. Why? Granted, if Reynolds had been promoted, he would have been made the same rank as Jack but still…

Snapping back to the present, Daniel felt dizzy at the memories and introspection. Suddenly he knew that there was only one solution to this. He had to leave. He knew that every time that he would see Sam from now on, the scene in her lab would replay in his head, and he already had enough vivid flashbacks to deal with without _that_ one to keep him wide awake for longer periods at night.

But to where could he escape the reminders of his failure to _carpe diem_, or rather seize the chance? To the rest of Earth, he was still the fruitcake who dared theorise that extraterrestrials had been posing as gods and influencing various cultures and systems of belief. Well, he was right but revealing classified information was tantamount to treason. No… off-world was a far more appealing and safer bet.

He could return to the world of the giant aliens and stay with Nick, but then the memories of his last surviving relative abandoning him at the age of eight came to mind. Nick had chosen an Indiana Jones life over his orphaned grandson, his only grandchild, something which had caused Daniel a great deal of pain and insecurity throughout his life, topped only by the abuse he had received whilst in foster care, although one could say that Nick's abandonment had been the lit match that started the forest fire… or was that too extreme? In any case, even if Daniel found it in himself to totally absolve his grandfather of his crime, the older man would return to insulting the younger man's now famous albeit scorned postgraduate work, as he frequently did when Daniel had come to visit him regularly prior to meeting Catherine Langford. Not only that, he would also continue insulting Melburn Jackson, saying how the elder Jackson had been nowhere near good enough for _his_ Claire.

His thoughts moved faster than a Fenri, and even he was finding it difficult to keep up, which was saying something. He counted friendly worlds in his head. Suddenly he stopped himself. What was he doing? He had sworn to the people of Abydos, the closest thing he had ever had to a family since that fateful day when he was eight years old, that he would continue to do good with Jack's _tribe_… but he had failed them already. He had naively made a pact with Anubis, who promptly threw it back in his face and destroyed the last physical reminder of his late wife. The nightmares still plagued him, nearly four years on.

Then the self-doubts thundered into his consciousness. What good was he going to do in the fight with the Ori? Adria had already abducted him and Priorised him, even if that was part of his and Merlin's plan. What good had that done? He had brought more Ori ships into this galaxy, ensuring a death sentence for many millions of people who did not want to worship any more false gods, after being freed from the shackles of the Goa'uld.

Resting his forehead on the cool glass of the mirror, he made his decision. He was going to leave. Memories of his failures ran through his mind and he felt as though he had been a burden on his friends. What was he doing here – a civilian doing a soldier's job? No matter how proficient he had become in combat, he was quintessentially a geek. He sighed audibly as the image of Sam and Jack kissing surfaced again and threatened to remain imprinted in his mind's eye.

But how to leave? He couldn't just resign – he had tried that once before and his friends and Kas'uf had persuaded him to come back again. Death really wasn't an option, especially as the last time he had sacrificed his life, he hadn't really been dead and had been stuck with a race of ascended beings that had such great power at their metaphorical fingertips but had equally rigid rules with regard to their usage. He had tried to make a difference but was stopped at every turn, and when he eventually decided to take matters into his own hands, he was spirited away and dumped on a planet, sans memories and clothes.

And then he remembered Vis Uban. He closed his eyes as he vividly recalled seeing Sam for what appeared to have been the first time. He had felt something then, and later he had realised that it had always been there, buried beneath his troubles and pain but there nonetheless. He had pushed her hand away because at the precise moment that she had greeted him, a shard of a memory ran through his mind, a memory of her crying.

Without his memories, he had surmised that crying equalled pain and that he had been the cause of that pain. He had wondered, even whilst half-heartedly talking to Jack, whether there really had been something between them but she had said no. However he thought that she had been lying, wanting him to remember of his own accord. In his sans memory state, he anticipated that it was a plot to get him home again and that was his spurring motivation to finally agree, if only to discover his true relationship with her. But his memories returned and he relived, in painful detail, his grief of losing Sha're all over again.

He pursed his lips as he continued to stare at his reflection. He had to leave, even if it was only to run away from the SGC, Sam and Jack… and well, ok, himself. He recalled the dream that Sha're had sent him through the ribbon device, telling him to find 'the boy' in her dying moments, and he remembered a particular scene where he had ran away during a mission to the use the 'gate.

His face set in determination, he composed himself, slipping his glasses back on. He knew what he had to do. Yes, he was going to go on this mission but he'd be darned if he was coming back. He quickly formulated a plan in his mind before setting about writing the required letters to each of his friends.


	4. Chapter 4

After quickly placing the letters, ensuring that they were in places that would be found by his friends _after_ he went missing, he jogged into the gateroom to find his friends waiting for him at the base of the ramp. Cam remarked with a frown,

"Jackson, you're late."

Daniel replied quickly, deciding not to lie, as his friends noticed how agitated he appeared,

"I… I, uh, had something to do."

Vala peered at him and remarked,

"I believe Cameron would say that you look like crap… are you alright?"

Daniel snapped, "The Doctor cleared me, didn't she?!"

He scrubbed his hands through his hair and tried not to fall apart then and there, but Sam putting a hand on his shoulder didn't help matters. She asked, concerned,

"Daniel, are you alright?"

He mumbled, "Just a bit of stress… thanks. I'll be alright when we get through the 'gate."

She appeared nervous as she smiled and replied,

"Good… uh, listen… when we get back, I need to tell you something."

He closed his eyes briefly, thinking to himself that he didn't want to hear about her marrying Jack. He just nodded, saying,

"Sure."

Teal'c regarded him silently, not needing to say anything but he sensed that something wasn't quite right. Just then Jack and Landry walked in, the former remarking,

"Hey Dannyboy, we thought you'd been abducted. You ok?"

"I'm fine Jack."

"You sure?"

"Yes," Daniel replied through gritted teeth. Sam mouthed to Jack the word 'stress' and he nodded slightly, unconvinced. Walter began to dial the 'gate and when the wormhole was established, Landry said,

"Good luck SG-1."

Cam replied, still glancing at Daniel uneasily,

"Thanks Sir."

--------------------

Planetside, Daniel went through the usual rigmarole of introducing himself and his team-mates, and the team were welcomed by the friendly locals. As they were invited to feast as per local traditions, Daniel slipped out, claiming to need fresh air and when he was clear of the village, he sprinted towards the 'gate.

As he reached the stone circle, he became aware of Teal'c and Cam shouting for him in the distance and he could see the Jaffa and the southern Colonel sprinting towards him. They were a huge distance yet so Daniel took a deep breath before quickly dialling the 'gate to the Land of the Light. As the wormhole established, Cam shouted, not too far off,

"Jackson, what the hell do you think you're doin'?!"

Daniel leapt through the event horizon just before they reached his position, and the wormhole disengaged. Only Teal'c had seen the address and said quickly,

"It would appear that DanielJackson has gone to the Land of the Light."

"What?! Why?!"

"This I do not know."

"Well…we've gotta follow him… you saw how odd he looked – he could harm himself!"

"Indeed."

Cam said into his radio,

"Sam, Jackson's gone loco and gated to the Land of the Light…"

"What?! Why?!"

"That's what I said… listen, me and T are going to get him back. You and Vala stay here – report back to Landry as scheduled."

"Wait, I'm coming with you."

"No Sam, you have to stay here – you're my second-in-command."

"Like I have to be reminded of that. Ok, fine, I'll stay here."

Teal'c dialled the address for the Land of the Light as Cam looked on in concern, muttering swear words under his breath.

--------------------

As soon as Daniel arrived in the Land of the Light, he immediately dialled the 'gate again and ran through. He found himself on a far flung agrarian planet that SG-9 had visited for an Archaeological survey the year previously. He looked around, saying to himself that this is where he could start a new life, a new beginning. From this moment on, he was no longer Daniel Jackson; he could be anyone he wanted to be.

A farmer approached him, asking in Jaffa, the local language,

"What is your name and from where do you hail?"

"I am… Indiana Jones and I come from the Lost Ark."

"The Lost Ark?"

"It is a distant world."

"Never heard of it… I am Gyges of Miletus; let me show you around our village."

"I would be honoured."

"The honour is all mine, Indiana Jones of the Lost Ark."

"Please… call me Indy."


	5. Chapter 5

Having interrogated the locals of the Land of the Light and coming up with absolutely squat, Cam and Teal'c returned to the previous planet, to find Sam and Vala waiting for them. Cam asked,

"Landry call yet?"

Sam replied, looking forlorn, "Nope… did you find any clues?"

"I'm sorry Sam… the people said that they haven't seen anything, although an elder heard the 'gate activate twice before we arrived."

Sam said with a sigh, "Which means that he dialled another planet as soon as he arrived there. I swear that guy channels General O'Neill sometimes. It's just what _he_ would do."

Cam put a hand on her shoulder and said with an intense expression,

"We're gonna find him Sam… we're gonna find him and drag his butt home again."

Teal'c said, "DanielJackson did appear stressed prior to the mission. Perhaps he has recently had a bad experience."

"But what T? Hell, we all get the nightmares that have us screaming in the middle of the night but that's what McKenzie's for!"

Teal'c regarded him coldly as Sam replied,

"He, uh, has a bad history with Doctor McKenzie ever since he wrongly diagnosed him of schizophrenia seven years ago. I don't like going since that and the General smart-mouthed him a few times. I'm surprised they kept the guy on."

Cam raked his hair with his hand, exclaiming,

"Aw shoot, we need to report back to Landry… I'm no mathematician but hell, there's gotta be millions of gates out there!"

"I won't go into specifics but that's about right."

--------------------

Earthside, Landry and Jack noticed Daniel's absence from the team's line-up. Sam was very close to tears as she said to her superiors,

"Sirs… he's gone."

Teal'c put a comforting arm around her as the two Generals looked on in consternation, before Landry said with a sigh,

"Very well… briefing in one hour."

Jack asked, "Anyone see anything!?"

Cam replied, "Yes Sir. He slipped out of the village and sprinted to the 'gate. T saw the address for the Land of the Light. We went there but the locals swore that they hadn't seen him although they had heard the 'gate activate twice before we got there."

Jack exclaimed, "Damn that smart-ass Archaeologist!"

SG-1 went their separate ways to gather their thoughts, shower and get ready for the briefing. After quickly showering, Sam ran into her lab, shutting the door behind her as she wept openly against it. She had always suspected that she was cursed but this just took the biscuit. What were the chances of that? Right before she wanted to tell him of her feelings, he had disappeared, run out on them it appeared. This was a new record for her, losing a man _before_ telling him out and out how she felt.

Through her tears she noticed a folded piece of paper poking out of her electronic notebook. She frowned slightly, drying her eyes and approached her desk, pulling the paper. She unfolded it and gasped on recognising the hand – Daniel's. She then read it and her heart felt as if it was going through a shredder with excruciating slowness.

"_Dear Sam,_

_I saw you and Jack kissing. I really hope you're happy. Really, I do. You're both my best friends and have been dancing around your feelings for so damn long…"_

She paused, her face horror-struck. He had seen them? She whispered,

"Oh God, Daniel, no. Please, no."

"… _You of all people deserve to be happy. Well, I guess you're wondering why I'm writing this instead of telling you to your face. Three words: I'm a coward. Whilst you and Jack were dancing around those feelings of yours, I too was dancing to my own rhythm regarding the feelings I have for you."_

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest and she was sure that the entire mountain would be able to hear it soon. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to read,

"… _The truth that I've been hiding from you all of this time is that I love you – I'm in love with you and no amount of __introspection and work is going to change that. When did it happen? I can't tell you exactly when. I didn't know it at the time. However, I do know that I became more aware of them when I lost my memories. But what does it matter whether I have feelings for you? For years, it's been Jack and Sam, Sam and Jack – even in those first two alternate Universes. _

_Damn it Sam, I would have made you so happy but you never gave me the chance. You never saw me as more than a friend and an emotional release for when times got tough. There is only so much that a man can take and I've been through so much crap already. I don't want to walk through the 'gate everyday reminded of who Jack could have but I couldn't._

_I can't go on Sam, watching you in Jack's arms. Every time I close my eyes, the image of you two is so damn vivid. I can't get it out of my head. Perhaps I am running from my demons but all I know is that I should have done this a very long time ago before I fell head over heels for you. You are one lucky woman Samantha, to have men falling __for you left, right and center._

_It's funny that despite this resulting in me leaving my life's work behind, the hardest thing I will have to do between now and my time of departure is leaving you. _

_My heart's been yours for a long, long time, Sam, but you've broken it so many times that it's nothing but a pile of microscopic shards. I don't blame you. It's just so easy for you to see me as either your little brother or perhaps even a girlfriend when I don't tell you about my feelings. Or is because of me being a civilian? I have to question whether you really saw me as a man, compared to the great Jack O'Neill. I'm afraid I can't live up to your expectations. I'm a geek, and, well, so are you, but does it matter? Apparently it does._

_I'm a coward, it's as simple as that; a coward who loves you so much that it hurts, but you and my best friend are in love, so what can I do? Well, I won't be around to frown any more Sam, and I wish you two all the best._

_Good luck,_

_Daniel._

_PS: Don't even bother trying to find me, because you won't find me that easily, even if you do. I just want a new life where I'll never have to be tortured by actually seeing your face again, although I'm sure that wherever I go, I'll see your face in my dreams."_

By the time she finished reading, she covered her mouth with a hand as she began to sob uncontrollably. She covered her face with her arms as she sobbed onto her desk, clutching the letter.

It was in this state that Cam found her and he, with his own letter, quietly stepped into the room, asking softly,

"Sam?"

She looked up and replied through her tears,

"He's gone because of me, Cam. He's gone."

"What?! All he said in my letter is that he's fed up with life and just wants to up sticks and leave… oh nuts…"

He pulled her into a hug as he read the letter and he said,

"Aw Sam, you've got to show Landry – I know you're gonna get embarrassed but he needs to know."

She replied, still crying,

"I don't love the General, Cam… I love Daniel."

Puzzled, he asked, "What about the kiss?"

"He laid his cards out but when he kissed me, I realised it was wrong and then realised who I'd really been love with all this time. I was going to tell him after the mission, and now he's gone because he saw the kiss and didn't wait to hear what was said afterwards."

He held her until the sobs gradually subsided, and he whispered,

"We're gonna bring that son-of-a-gun home, Sam."


	6. Chapter 6

_Two months later…_

_--------------------_

Daniel, or Indy as he was now known, was dressed in Earth toned robes, similar to those he wore on Abydos, as he worked hard in Gyges' field. It turned out that Miletus, the area surrounding the 'gate, was short of labourers as a lot of the locals had migrated to the nearby city of Halicarnassus to seek their fortune. Gyges, an elderly gentleman, bent with years, was grateful for Daniel's offer of work in return for a place to stay. Daniel, in turn, was thankful to have something to do and to be a part of another loving family.

As Daniel toiled, he thought back to the events that had led him to become a field hand. He smiled slightly as he paused to wipe his sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. It seemed somewhat ironic to him that a man who had specialised in the study of the past was now _living_ in the past, so to speak. The planet, Perseia, he had learnt, was _mostly_ rural as opposed to totally rural, as his previous Archaeological survey had concluded. Admittedly, the locals were somewhat xenophobic at the time and gave him and SG-9 a wide berth, which would account for the misconception.

Little had changed – the locals were still xenophobic and many still regarded him with odd looks but, as he thought to himself, things would gradually change. He was already on first name, nodding, and/or smiling terms with many locals, and often ran errands for them, particularly the ill and elderly ones.

He liked Miletus – it was a mostly harmless rural backwater village, with a tavern a mile or so from Gyges' farmhouse. The only animals were a chicken-type bird called a _Poulet_, and a woolly variety of horse called a _Cheval_. The former's meat and eggs were eaten, its feathers used for stuffing pillows and decorating the women's hair during special occasions. The latter's fleece was used for heavy winter clothing and blankets, and the animal itself was used for riding and bearing loads across long distances.

He shielded his eyes with a hand as he looked towards the two setting Suns and he couldn't help but think that he was definitely going to enjoy his new home. He was already feeling so much better being in the clean, fresh air and away from _her_. His demeanour changed slightly as thoughts of Sam ran through his head. He loved her, he still did. He whispered in English,

"You damn fool Jackson… she doesn't even see you as a man."

Light footfalls interrupted his reverie and he turned around to see Gyges' granddaughter, Stateira, a very beautiful maiden in her mid-twenties, bearing a tray with a pitcher of water and a plate of food. She said with a smile,

"Indy, grandfather sent some provisions for you. You have worked in the fields since sunrise."

He smiled back at her, making her blush slightly, gratefully accepting the tray from her. He set it down on the ground next to him but she didn't walk away. He straightened up and said as he drank some water,

"Thank you Stateira… you and your family take good care of me."

Blushing a little more, she remarked with a smile,

"Well, you are the best labourer that we have ever had. Not only do you perform your labours here to an exceptional standard, you suggest improvements to how things are done so that grandfather can run his household more efficiently, _and_ you are so helpful to our neighbours too. Roxane owes you a debt of gratitude for bringing her child safely into the world."

It was his turn to blush as he remembered helping a local to give birth, and then performing CPR when the baby stopped breathing. He said, waving dismissively,

"Oh, she does not!"

Her eyes twinkled as she gazed at him. Suddenly the twinkle vanished as she said, her eyes growing colder,

"Ada asked whether you would be going to the tavern this evening."

He looked at her calculatingly and asked,

"Why would she want to know whether I go or not?"

Her eyes grew colder like her voice as she replied,

"She has been looking at you with cow's eyes ever since she laid eyes on you."

He said carefully with a shrug,

"I did not notice."

Gazing at her a little longer, he added,

"I am not interested in her Stateira, if that is what you are worried about."

She just blushed in reply and sprinted, barefoot, back to the farmhouse, leaving a very bemused Archaeologist behind. He shook his head and remarked to himself,

"She's just a girl."


	7. Chapter 7

Jack, who refused to return to Washington until either Daniel was found or the President threatened his job security, organised a briefing on hearing some rather undesirable news. With Landry, Agent Barrett, and the rest of SG-1 present, Jack said with a sigh,

"Ok folks… I've just heard something absolutely crappy from those suits at the NID… I think you should hear it from our slightly less disliked Agent. Barrett."

Barrett nodded, looking more and more nervous, before replying,

"I'm afraid that the NID has decided that the SGC has wasted more than enough time in the search for Doctor Jackson, and…"

He was interrupted by utterances of disbelief from a rather worse for wear Sam, Vala, and Cam, the latter Colonel remarking, his anger growing,

"How could you put a time limit on the man's head?! The guy's been missing for far longer than two stinkin' months before. Have you forgotten what that man's given for not only this planet, but for the entire galaxy!? He…"

Barrett interrupted him, saying with a sad expression,

"The NID is well aware of Doctor Jackson's invaluable contributions to the Stargate programme, Colonel, but while you are searching fruitlessly for him, opportunities for discovering new technologies to contribute to the fight against the Ori and Lucian Alliance are being overlooked. I'm sure that you are also well aware of how much just 'switching the lights on' costs the government…"

Sam blinked in disbelief and remarked,

"You're putting a price on Daniel's wellbeing?!"

"I'm sorry Colonel, but surely you can understand that we cannot maintain this search forever."

She continued, and looking very angry as she paid tribute to Daniel, her voice wavering every so often,

"Daniel Jackson gave us all our jobs by opening the Stargate and then discovering the 'gate system, and now you're just going to say 'right, so long and thanks for all the diplomacy'?! I speak for all of us when I say that that man has saved all of us and others so many times with his quick thinking, diplomatic skills, compassion and utter selflessness. You _really_ should be ashamed of yourself, Barrett."

Barrett replied with a sigh, "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the bottom line is that the SGC is to resume normal operations from 1800 hours today. The search for Doctor Jackson is not a high priority any longer. I'm so sorry. I don't agree with this but my superiors have made their decision and I'm afraid that you have no choice but to go through with it."

The poor man looked absolutely forlorn at having to relay such bad news, and Sam, seething with anger, said as she stood up,

"Right, that's it. I resign…"

Everyone looked up at her in surprise, and Jack said, subconsciously pinching the bridge of his nose like Daniel,

"Carter…"

"No Sir… it's obvious that everything that Daniel has done is nothing in the eyes of the NID so I refuse to work here any longer, knowing that he is still out there and we can't do anything about it unless we happen to accidentally bump into him."

Barrett said, concerned, "But the SGC has been fruitlessly searching thousands of worlds… surely you of all people can understand that maintaining this search is wasteful… I mean, we don't even know if he's still alive."

Jack snapped, "I don't want to hear that… this is Daniel we're talkin' about."

Sam replied, still standing,

"Exactly Sir… Daniel is still out there and we have to look for him. He'd do the same for us."

Barrett continued with a sigh, "There are millions of gates in the system… The decision is out of my hands. You have no choice but to capitulate. I'm sorry."

"Then I'm walking…"

Jack said with a sigh, "Carter…"

She continued as she walked out,

"My resignation letter will be on your desk within the hour, General Landry. Sirs."

Cam, Teal'c and Vala stood up, the former saying,

"I think I speak for the rest of us when I say we're walkin' too unless the NID changes its mind."

Teal'c added, "Indeed," and Vala said with a stern expression, "Count me in."

They walked out angrily, and Landry said with a heavy sigh,

"Agent Barrett, I suggest that you report this to your superiors – if the decision stands, the planet's frontline planetary defence team, who have saved Earth time and time again and without whom we would be all dead many times over, will no longer be here to save us again."

Barrett nodded, looking unhappy as he left to contact his superiors, and Jack scrubbed his cropped grey hair with his hands, angry, and remarked,

"What the hell are we going to do, Hank!?"

"We wait Jack… that's all we can do. It's one of the downsides of having NID oversight of this programme… they get to influence the way it's run."

"There should be a rule that says 'if Daniel Jackson goes missing, no-one should give up searching for him for at least a year and then it's touch and go'."

"You really miss him."

"Of course I do… he's not like other geeks. He… hell, I know I'm hardly the most articulate man, but Daniel is everything to the programme, to off-world Archaeology and Linguistics, to SG-1… to me. It'll kill me if we lose him for good."

Landry said with a sigh,

"We'll find him Jack."

"I sure as hell hope so."


	8. Chapter 8

Each member of SG-1 wanted to be alone with their thoughts so they each went to their office, workplace or quarters. Sam felt the urge to punch something, and that urge was somewhat satisfied when she punched the wall in frustration. She repeatedly punched and kicked the wall, seething with an intense anger and frustration. Her weakened body eventually slid down the wall and she wept into her knees, gradually becoming unaware of her surroundings as she sobbed violently and uncontrollably.

Jack tapped on her door and when he didn't get an answer, he cautiously opened it to find her curled up, her back against the wall nearest the door. He quickly shut the door and sat down next to her, and that was when he noticed the blood and bruising all over her hands, some of the blood dripping on the floor. He remarked, concerned,

"Shit, what happened to your hands, Carter!?"

She continued sobbing, oblivious to his presence, and he gently smoothed her hair back, saying,

"Come on Carter, let's get you checked out in the Infirmary."

She mumbled, "I'm fine."

"Fine, my foot… you're bleedin'."

He helped her get up and he escorted her out of the room, but her eyes never left the floor.

At the Infirmary, Lam treated her cuts and bruises, noting how very upset she was. Sam seemed unaware of her surroundings as she numbly surrendered to the medical attention, and Lam looked at her with concern. A group of Airmen gathered in the observation room, curious and concerned but were soon dispersed by an angry Cam, who joined Jack in the Infirmary.

Jack said with a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair,

"She's had a nervous breakdown… I watched the same thing happen with an ol' buddy of mine in the Special Forces. The guy had been tortured and imprisoned in Iraq a few months after me, and he went nuts. He ended up in a mental institution."

Cam replied, "It's like she's lost a huge part of herself… I'll admit this whole crapfest with the NID is hard to digest. Did Barrett come back with a different decision?"

"He did… the search for Daniel has now been _upgraded_ somewhat but I get the feelin' it's only in name only. You stayin'?"

"Well Sir, we're a team and we've lost a vital team-member… I'll admit that we were only tryin' to force their hand with that walkout… I think Sam can be talked out of resigning…"

"She damn well better be – if the SGC depended on two people, it would be her and Daniel. He opened the 'gate and discovered the 'gate system, and she practically invented the dialling computer and made it possible for us to discover new addresses in the first place. I think the NID are well aware of this too."

"Yes Sir… I wish I had acted on my instincts and stopped him from goin' through the 'gate that day – there was somethin' really off about him and we all noticed… even you did. Now he's gone and it's killin' Sam."

Jack replied with a sigh, "Mitchell, you couldn't have known that he was gonna do a runner – we didn't know about… you know. I mean, fer cryin' out loud, the guy's been workin' here, between ascensions, for about eight to nine years. Damn… if anyone should be sorry or regretful, it's me for acting like a total ass… seeing as you're a good friend to Carter, I presume I won't have to elaborate."

"No Sir… I know what happened. I just don't know why he felt he couldn't tell anyone – he just ran."

"I agree – it's not like Daniel to run. He's definitely not a running man… hang on… he was born in '65 right?"

Perplexed, Cam replied, "Yes Sir."

"… which makes him forty-two. He's having one of those mid-life crisis things!"

Cam remarked, "But doesn't that mean he'd be buying motorbikes and having a ponytail? Jackson was acting pretty much normally until that day."

Jack shrugged and said,

"Well, whatever his reasons, Carter's gonna need a shrink… I'm not gonna let them institutionalise her."

"Count me in that assertion too Sir."


	9. Chapter 9

_Several months later._

_--------------------_

One evening, having bathed and changed into clean robes, Daniel ate a light dinner in the kitchen of the farmhouse as Gyges' daughter, Lyncaea informed him of the local gossip. He had come to like Lyncaea a lot. She was around his age and was very intelligent and chatty. She always told him the local gossip and anything she thought of interest to the Archaeologist. Her husband, Croesus, liked Daniel too and didn't envy the Archaeologist's deep bond with his wife. The two men often exchanged stories – Croesus about life in Halicarnassus; Daniel about his various travels.

As Lyncaea moved around the kitchen, constantly busy, she never once stopped talking. Even when Gyges came in for his meal, she didn't pause as she talked to him, and then returned to talking to Daniel, which amused the man somewhat. One of the reasons why he liked her was because her constant chatter was exactly what he needed to get his mind off Sam for the duration of dinner at least.

The gossip was the standard, almost universal type – who was seeing who, who was going to Halicarnassus, who was getting married, who fought who over what or whom… the stories never ceased to enthral the Archaeologist as he was a big fan of storytelling and had studied its use in preserving cultural identity and history. Although Lyncaea's use of storytelling was not as deep and profound as that, he liked it nonetheless. It had been a long, long time since someone had talked to him so freely.

His meal finished, he complimented it as he usually did, which never failed to make her smile. She cocked her head as she studied him for a moment before saying with a smile,

"I do not know of the customs of your people but this scraping of your facial hair is indeed rather odd… only a few men practice it. I will admit that if you are with a lady, it is more comfortable for her but…"

He replied as he self-consciously felt his clean-shaven chin,

"I like it like this… I once grew a beard a year ago but it didn't feel right."

"You are certainly an odd man… but a good man nonetheless. I have seen it in your actions, but I see it too in your face."

He blushed and made to wash his plate, hoping to actually be successful in doing so but as always, Lyncaea intercepted him, wresting the plate from his hands and remarking with a grin,

"You are definitely odd, doing women's work! I will not let you succeed, Indy, so you better give up trying. Your wife must have been exasperated with you… what a lucky woman she must be… oh, you did not say whether you were married."

He replied, looking at her sadly,

"I lost her to the Goa'uld a long time ago."

She put a hand on his shoulder and replied, surprised and shocked,

"I am sorry to hear that, Indy… You must tell me one day about her. You are a good man and good men like you should not be alone."

He replied in softly, "I have thought that too…"

He continued with a smile, "Anyway, now that you have won the evening's plate washing contest, I must depart your company for the tavern that is drab in comparison."

She laughed, remarking,

"You are definitely naquadah-tongued!"

He laughed, replying, "Thank you Lyncaea for everything, as always."

"Go on, get out my father's house!"

He smiled at her as he left, and she shook her head slightly, a smile on her face as she went about her chores.


	10. Chapter 10

SG-1 had returned to active duty and resumed their ongoing quest to search for technology to rid the galaxy of the Ori threat. At first, they went through without Sam as she had broken both her hands in the rage-driven attack of her wall and had to be pulled from active duty for two months. During that time she received psychiatric treatment for her nervous breakdown and was prescribed pills to help her to sleep.

To replace Daniel, and to a lesser extent Sam, Jonas Quinn was reinstated into the team and worked with them enthusiastically as he had missed his time with the team. Teal'c, Cam and Vala were friendly towards him, despite missing Daniel terribly, although Jack treated him coldly as he had still not forgiven the Kelownans for what they had done.

Jack was ordered to return to D.C. due to the impracticalities of the head of Homeworld Security staying at the SGC for a long time, but he kept in regular contact with Landry, wanting to know of any developments of the ongoing search for Daniel. Despite the search not officially being a top priority, it was unofficially the SGC's top priority, and he'd be damned if they thought any less of it.

The Odyssey regularly flew over various planets, scanning for the signal emitted by Daniel's subcutaneous transmitter, but they had not had any luck so far, which was a cause of frustration to everyone involved.

Her hands healed, although much of the bruising remained, Sam was allowed to return to SG-1, on a trial basis. She had come to accept Daniel's disappearance so soon after his disappearance at the hands of Adria, and she became determined to find him. There was some consternation in the upper echelons of power that she should be allowed out there but Hutchison felt that that was what she needed, and that staying cooped up in a padded room would slowly kill the Colonel.

Sam easily slipped back into her friendship with Jonas, despite him being there as a result of Daniel being missing again, and she managed to distract herself from her inner maelstrom by joining in with the team's joking, rare as that was now.

This was relatively new to Vala as she had only been on the team some months, and she didn't like it one bit. Her friend, the only one to believe in her potential, was out there and they were helpless. She had heard whisperings of his reasons for running away like he did, and it caused her grave concern to have Sam back on the team, the very woman that had driven him away by getting kissed by Jack. Vala kept her thoughts to herself though as she was well aware that misunderstandings happened, but she couldn't help thinking that that was the worst possible one to happen, especially after everything Daniel had been through.


	11. Chapter 11

_A year later._

_--------------------_

One night, as Daniel walked home from the tavern, he heard screaming, sounding suspiciously like Stateira. He ran in the direction of the sound and saw her flat on her back, screaming, as a large man touched her indecently. Filled with rage, Daniel charged at the man, his now denser muscle mass throwing the man off-balance. He then punched him, unconsciously channelling Jack, in the face repeatedly. The man eventually overpowered him, punching him and pushing him backwards. Daniel fell onto his back in pain but his foot shot out, and he quickly hooked it behind the man's heel, sending him sprawling, before getting up and continuing to beat the living snot out of him.

Badly injured and his lesson learnt, the man's brother arrived, and Daniel explained what had happened. The man dragged his injured brother away, scolding him for attacking Stateira. A little breathless from his fight, he turned to the now standing Stateira and asked,

"You ok?"

She replied with a shaky smile, "Yes, thanks to you. Thank you Indy… I owe you my life and my honour."

She kissed him on the cheek, making him blush, before she did something completely surprising – she kissed him on the lips. He pushed away slightly and said softly,

"Stateira, I am sorry but I cannot."

In the light of the two full moons, she looked up at him and asked,

"Why?"

"Because I love another and will never stop loving her."

She looked down at her feet, upset, and he gently tilted her face up to look at him, saying,

"There will be other men for you Stateira – you are very beautiful and clever but that lucky man will not be me."

"But I love you Indy. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I felt the madness, and mother has told me that you have been alone for a very long time."

He tenderly caressed her jaw, drying her tears with his thumbs as he replied,

"I am sorry Stateira."

He kissed her forehead and continued,

"Come, let us return home – your father must be informed of what has transpired."

She turned to him, a question in her eyes, and as if he had read her mind, he said,

"And I solemnly swear to tell neither your parents nor your grandfather or anyone else on this planet of what has just transpired between you and I…"

"Thank you."

She kissed him, this time on the cheek, before they linked arms and he escorted her home.

--------------------

Back at Gyges' farmhouse, everyone was mortified to learn of the attack on Stateira's honour, but they were grateful for Daniel's intervention, and Stateira told everyone stories of the Archaeologist's impressive fighting skills, much to his embarrassment. If anyone had noticed the slight awkwardness between the two, they didn't point it out.

Lyncaea hugged Daniel in gratitude, as did Croesus and Gyges, and there was talk of offering Stateira to Daniel in marriage. Daniel refused, saying that he was too old, and besides, he was in love with someone from his own world. The elders appeared disappointed as they really liked Daniel and wanted him as a part of their family.

When they were alone in the kitchen, Stateira asked shyly,

"It is Ada, is it not?"

Daniel shook his head and replied,

"No Stateira – I do not love Ada, nor could I possibly love anyone else as much as I love the one I love. Until I can get over those feelings, I cannot love another. I am sorry."

She kissed him on the cheek and replied with a slight smile,

"I will wait then Indy. I will wait until that day."

Embarrassed, he said, "I… uh, you do not have to…"

Smiling as she left the kitchen, she called,

"I will wait."


	12. Chapter 12

One morning, SG-1 and Landry came rushing into the control room, Cam saying,

"Walter, you paged?"

Walter replied, holding his earpiece in,

"Yes Sir… we have an encrypted incoming transmission from the Odyssey."

Everyone exchanged brief meaningful glances before Landry said impatiently,

"Let's hear it then."

Walter pressed a series of buttons and the Odyssey Commander's voice was heard,

"This is Colonel McAndrews callin' from the Odyssey."

Landry replied, "Go ahead, son."

There was a slight delay due to the distance of the ship from Earth, which Sam quickly explained to her impatient team-mates.

"We have located the signal emitted by Doctor Jackson's subcutaneous transmitter Sir… we're currently cross-referencing the co-ordinates with our address database… it's taking a while."

Sam asked, after Teal'c caught her when her knees gave way,

"Could you transmit the co-ordinates to the SGC? The gate computer could work it out faster."

A longer pause than before and then,

"Oh… no need Colonel – we've got a hit… Papa five X-Ray, Niner Eight."

Landry asked as Walter wrote the address down,

"P5X 908?"

"Affirmative, Sir."

"Good job Odyssey."

"Thanks Sir… should we beam him out?"

"That will not be necessary – SG-1 will be deployed."

"Yes Sir… McAndrews out."

The transmission ended, Walter said as he checked his screen,

"Sir, P5X-908 is one of the addresses from the Abydos cartouche… it was visited by SG-9 and Doctor Jackson for an Archaeological survey last year."

Sam asked, her voice fearful,

"Is it hostile?"

"No Ma'am. The note says that it's a rural planet and I believe Doctor Jackson included the addendum, 'culture based on ancient Persian and Ionic Greek'."

Everyone smiled briefly at that before Landry briefed the team as they followed him down the steps,

"We'll wait for General O'Neill to fly in and he will accompany you. Your orders are to retrieve Doctor Jackson to face the consequences of his actions."

Cam remarked, "Like that's gonna persuade him… _'Hey Jackson, come home so Woolsey can whale on you and lock you up'_.

Landry replied with a slight smile, "I believe that Doctor Jackson is long due some leeway after almost nine years of impeccable service of this planet… and besides, misappropriation of the Stargate will not account in his case as he used an off-world 'gate. He might be put on probation or given a hefty caution… Jack and I will work something out."

He turned to Sam as they rounded the corner,

"Colonel Carter, you are welcome to sit this one out…"

She replied with a determined expression,

"No Sir… I have to be there."

"Understood."


	13. Chapter 13

Daniel and Stateira rode their Chevals back to Miletus from trading Poulet feathers, Cheval fleeces and wild rice in the city of Halicarnassus. On the long way back, Stateira, her eyes glittering with mischief, said challengingly,

"Indy, I challenge you to a race."

Daniel retorted, feigning indignation,

"Only because I am old… you will beat me easily."

Surprised, she laughed and said,

"Indy, you are not old… you are wise, true, but you are certainly not old."

He blushed and she took the opportunity to spur her Cheval onwards through the grassy wasteland, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders and flying in the wind as she screamed with laughter. Shaking his head in disbelief, he grinned as he spurred his Cheval on too and gave chase.

Both of them laughing like children, they raced through the long grass and acres of arable land until he caught up with her. He got a little ahead of her before steering in front of her steed, stopping her, and remarked, breathless as he took in her wild appearance,

"You were beaten by an old man."

She tidied up her hair and clothing, retorting with a grin,

"I would have beaten you if you had not stopped me."

She leant over and kissed him on the cheek, but he turned his face, both of them kissing tenderly over the heads of their Chevals. She pushed him away slightly, asking,

"What of the one you love?"

He blushed, replying as he tenderly moved a stray lock of hair from her face,

"I still love her… but she does not love me, and…"

She cut him off with another kiss, her arm reaching behind his neck, before replying as they pulled apart, gazing at each other,

"She must be foolish and blind."

"Stateira… my feelings for you are growing but I do not think that I should kiss you like that again until my feelings for the one I love have lessened a lot more. I do not want you to feel used."

"Indy… are you afraid of father of grandfather? Is this why you are holding back?"

He shook his head, replying as he cupped her jaw,

"That is not my reason… I respect you as a person and do not want you to be hurt if I think of her when we are together. I should not have kissed you like that and for that I am sorry. Until I can look at you and see just you, until I can hear your voice and hear just you, and until I can touch you and feel just you, I cannot take this any further. I have loved the one I love for longer than I can remember."

"Indy, I promise I will not feel used if you only kiss me… I rather like it."

He blushed as she touched his jaw before he leant in to tenderly kiss her once more. They parted, gazing at each other, and he said in a whisper as he smoothed her hair,

"Come Stateira, let us resume our journey before the way becomes dark."

She smiled at him as he straightened his Cheval, and she remarked as they resumed riding,

"Indy… you are one strange man, who can ride a Cheval far better than me, but I love you."


	14. Chapter 14

_Italicised lines are Jaffa translations._

--------------------

SG-1 headed up by Jack, arrived through the 'gate in the middle of Miletus. Jack remarked as he noted the darkening sky,

"Wow, fields… ok kids, we'll set up camp near the 'gate and set out in the morning."

The team silently went about setting up camp, when they all heard a noise. They spun around, P-90s and zats aimed as an old man, bent with years, emerged from the darkness. He said to them in Jaffa,

"I am Gyges of Miletus…"

Jack dusted off his Jaffa, replying,

"Howdy, _I am Jack O'Neill of the Winded City…"_

This resulted in Jonas snickering slightly, and Teal'c saying in English with a smile,

"O'Neill, you have just said that you are from the _Winded_ city."

"Ah… and it's quite the opposite in real life…"

He continued, glaring at Jonas, "Ok wise guy, you do it."

Jonas shrugged, still grinning as he approached the old man and said,

"_Tec-ma-te Gyges of Miletus, I am _Jonas Quinn_ and these are my companions of the Tau'ri. _General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell, Teal'c and Vala Mal Doran_…"_

"_Ah, it has been a long time since a visitor came through the Ring of Ahura Mazda."_

Cam leant over to Jonas and asked,

"Yo Jonas… Ahura Mazda?"

Jonas replied, "The Zoroastrian god of wisdom… Zoroastrian is a pre-Islamic religion still practiced in parts of modern-day Iran."

Jack remarked, "I thought you said this was Persian?"

"Uh, the area around modern-day Iran was known as Persia… the Persian Empire spanned from…"

Jack cut him off, asking Gyges in Jaffa,

"So, uh, _you get guests regular through the Ring of_, uh, Uhura?"

The rest of the team snickered briefly at Jack's gaffe as Gyges replied,

"_Not frequently… one man arrived over a year previously… _Indiana Jones _of the Lost Ark_… _we call him _Indy."

As SG-1 exchanged surprised looks, Jack remarked to Teal'c,

"Uh T? That guy did _not_ just say Indiana Jones… did he?!"

"Indeed he did O'Neill… Indiana Jones of the Lost Ark."

As Teal'c put a supporting arm around a shocked Sam, Vala remarked,

"Well, that's got to be Daniel… Cameron has informed me that the dashing Indiana Jones doesn't really exist… shame… even if he did, I doubt that he would claim to be from the Lost Ark… I mean, come on."

Cam rolled his eyes and asked Gyges,

"_May we see Indiana Jones_?"

Gyges replied, "_Absolutely…please wait in my farmhouse – I am afraid that Indy is at the tavern."_

Gyges continued as they followed him,

"_Indy has literally been what our ancestors would have called 'a gift of the gods'… as those so-called gods are false, it has not been deemed appropriate to name him thus. He has helped my family and our neighbours… and he accompanies my granddaughter on trading excursions to the city. My son-in-law and I wish to give her to Indy in marriage but he has refused several offers."_

As the team exchanged little knowing looks, Sam whispered to Jack,

"Sir, Daniel's sensitive to alcohol… why would he go the tavern?"

Jack remarked,

"He's a social drinker."


	15. Chapter 15

Daniel was nursing a mug of the local moonshine at the tavern, whilst being flirted with by a buxom woman who wasn't familiar with the notion of personal space. He had tried to be polite, but when that failed, he debated whether he should throw moonshine in her face. He eventually persuaded himself not to, worrying that the moonshine would permanently blind the woman. Instead he said, controlling his voice,

"Ada, leave me alone."

She played with the soft hair at the nape of his neck, curling it around her index finger as she suggestively whispered into his ear,

"I have watched you for over a year now Indy, and you have never failed to make me damp…"

Blushing furiously, he moved away from her, saying,

"I told you – I love another."

"Would it be that _girl_?!"

He half-lied, replying, "Yes…"

Just then Stateira sprinted in, her skirts gathered in her hands as she said, shooting a dirty look at Ada,

"Indy, grandfather requests your presence at the farmhouse."

"Oh thank goodness."

He quickly put the mug down and kissed her right in front of an indignant Ada, before taking her hand and sprinting out. Outside, Stateira, still stunned, stopped him and asked, her knees feeling rather weak,

"Indy… what…?"

He blushed and apologised, saying,

"I am sorry Stateira – it was the only way to get Ada to stop foisting herself on me… thank you for saving me."

Chuckling, she said, "Grandfather really has requested your presence… we have guests."

Puzzled, he asked, "At this hour?"

"They have come from afar and have many questions… come, Indy – grandfather will be worried if I do not return. It took a lot of persuasion for him to let me leave the house at this hour. He trusts you but he is worried that I will be dishonoured when I walk _to_ the tavern."

--------------------

SG-1 were perched and seated in Gyges' kitchen, listening to Lyncaea telling them how absolutely fantastic and fabulous _Indy_ had been, even mentioning the time he beat up Stateira's attacker. Jack remarked with a smirk in English,

"Dannyboy must have muscles the size of Kansas."

They noticed that Gyges and Croesus stood in the doorway, not talking, and Cam whispered to Sam,

"Looks like thingy here is the chatty one."

Vala remarked, "We're kindred spirits."

Teal'c added, "Indeed."

Just then they heard the front door open and Croesus left the kitchen. Sam hadn't realised that she had been holding her breath until she exhaled on seeing a tanned and noticeably more muscular Daniel appear with Stateira. The team sat, stunned on taking in his appearance and noticing his many scars. Jack eventually remarked with raised eyebrows,

"Look who's gone native again."

Sam, her voice breaking with emotion, said,

"Daniel."

Stateira asked Daniel, "_Indy, are these people from your world? Is that woman the one whom you love, of whom you said had hair like golden sunshine?_"

Ignoring his friends, he replied,

"_Yes…_"

Teal'c whispered to Jack, "He has talked about ColonelCarter with the girl prior to this day… she is recalling a conversation where he described her as the one whom he loves with hair like golden sunshine."

Overhearing what Teal'c had said, Sam stared at Daniel, willing herself not to cry. Daniel then said to Stateira,

"_I will talk to them outside – we have some catching up to do._"

He leant down and tenderly kissed her before gesturing for SG-1 to follow him out. Cam helped a stunned Sam up, whispering,

"We'll bring him home, Sam."

--------------------

Outside, the backdoor closed, Daniel, seething with anger, asked,

"What the hell are you doing here?! I told you not to come looking for me!"

He turned away from them, staring into the distance as Jack remarked,

"You know that ain't gonna happen. We came to say that…"

Daniel spun around, still very angry as he remarked,

"I don't want to hear it Jack… you and Sam have been dancing around your feelings for so damn long – you deserve each other. Good luck."

He walked away from them in the direction of the Cheval stables, and Jack called,

"Good luck for what?!"

The team followed the Archaeologist, Jack snapping,

"Hey, don't walk away from me when I'm talkin' to you!"

Daniel stopped in front of the stables, his shoulders rising and falling with anger before he turned around and punched Jack square in the jaw, sending the Major-General sprawling backwards. As Cam and Sam helped Jack up, Daniel wrapped some wet leaves in a cloth and handed it to Jack, muttering,

"It should stop the swelling."

Teal'c smiled slightly at the gesture, knowing that their Daniel was still in there somewhere. Jack, muttering under his breath, held it to his jaw before remarking,

"Quite a punch you pack there… look, you really have to hear something… I'll go first."

He gestured for the team to move some distance away to give them some privacy, and when they did, Jack leant on the stable door, saying with a sigh,

"Look Daniel, you only know half the story."

Daniel met the older man's gaze, angrily remarking,

"Hm yes, the first half is that you two have finally _finished_ dancing around those feelings of yours, and the second half is that you want me as best man. Not gonna happen, Jack. I am sick to death of the little looks, the flirting, the meaningful silences and the innuendo. I know this whole 'Sam loves Jack and Jack loves Sam' thing has been a no-go area for the classic SG-1 to talk about, and I'm relieved in a way that you've resolved this. A small part of me is happy for you… but do you know what happened after I saw you two kiss? I was violently sick for fifteen minutes straight…"

When Jack made to interrupt, Daniel glared at him, raising a hand and said,

"No, let me finish… this has to be said. You go wisecracking and it'll be buried under politeness again."

He continued, "I was sick. I left because I knew that I couldn't go through the 'gate with Sam any more, knowing that she was yours, knowing that I could never have her. I love her – I still love her, and have done for years…"

He turned away, his voice breaking with emotion,

"Why did you have to come? I'm happy here… I have a family again, and…"

Jack interrupted him, remarking,

"The only family you have is us… SG-1… that's where you belong."

"Jack…"

"No Dannyboy, you've had your say – now let me have mine. Carter loves you – Carter is crazy about you."

Daniel spun around to face him, surprised as he continued,

"Hell, I'm no good at this diplomacy – that's always been more your thing, but you should not have allowed your feelings to get in the way like that. I know you're not military, although you could give us all a run for our money, but you should have put it to one side and talked about it afterwards with either me or Carter… or just vented on Teal'c… you should not have run during a mission. What if the locals had turned out to be Darth Vader's long-lost cousins… or Mitchell said something a little off? You wouldn't have been there to smooth ruffled feathers like you've been for the most part of this tumultuous decade. It's sheer luck that Jonas hasn't encountered any seriously bad situations otherwise my kids would be boned… no-one can take your place Daniel. I learnt that when you were ascended. You are absolutely unique."

Daniel hung his head in shame, and Jack continued,

"I don't care about myself but you're killing Carter, especially after the NID downgraded the importance of looking for you, after only two stinkin' months. She probably won't tell you this but she had a nervous breakdown after that, and broke her hands when she punched the shit out of her wall. While she was off active duty, she had two months of therapy… I've been missing, half-killed and worse before, but she never went anywhere near as loco."

Daniel sighed, still processing the information, and Jack asked, a little bashful,

"So… will you find your way to comin' home with SG-1 and me?"

Daniel ran his fingers through his hair, saying,

"Jack, I don't know… I'm happy here. I…"

He gazed past Jack at Sam, who was talking quietly with Cam some distance away. He sighed again and said quietly as he returned his gaze to Jack,

"I'm not going back – I don't want to come in between you and Sam."

Jack turned away slightly and remarked loudly, making the rest of SG-1 turn to look at them,

"Fer cryin' out loud, Daniel! That's what we came to tell you. We're not together – there never was an 'us', regardless of all those stupid years. I won't lie – I do love her but she doesn't return my feelings…

"But the kiss…"

Jack interrupted him, saying a little too loudly,

"You didn't wait to see what happened afterwards! She doesn't return my feelings! Look, I'm sure Carter should be tellin' you this so I'll get her before I put my foot in it again."

Daniel stared at his feet, whispering,

"You kissed."

"Oh fer cryin' out loud!"

Jack stormed off, angry and frustrated, back to his friends. Cam asked,

"Sir, Jackson not responsive?"

"He's hurt and confused… and angry."

Vala bounded forward, saying,

"I'll go talk some sense into him… he'll be home in no time."

Jack raised his hand, saying, "Uh-uh Vala, not you. This is something Carter has to do. Carter?"

He turned to his former second-in-command and said,

"Carter, go talk to him… he has to hear it from both of us."

Sam, glancing at Daniel leaning against the stable, asked, unsure,

"Sir?"

Cam nudged her, saying, "Go on Sam, you can do it."

Jonas added as Teal'c smiled slightly,

"If anyone can, it's you Sam – you brought him home from Vis Uban."

"I don't know."

Teal'c said, "I believe that you have to do this ColonelCarter, otherwise he will be lost to us forever, and he has been a virtuous and courageous warrior in the fight against the Goa'uld, and with the Ori."

Jack patted him on the shoulder and remarked,

"You said a mouthful, T… go on Carter."


	16. Chapter 16

Steeling herself, Sam took a deep breath before purposefully walking towards Daniel. He glanced up at her and he, and everyone else were taken by surprise when she slapped him across the face, hard, Jonas and Cam physically restraining an angry Vala.

His face turned away from her, Sam said angrily,

"You left. You saw what you saw and you just left, right before I was going to tell you how I felt about you."

He turned back to her in surprise, his mouth slightly agape, and she continued,

"Despite being the most brilliant mind in two galaxies, you can be a total idiot sometimes. You're a historian, Daniel, and historians try to get a balanced view of a historical event, taking into account what came before, what came afterwards, and all of the concurrent factors."

He interrupted her, saying, "But that's not always possible when a source is written by a biased party."

Staring at her feet for a moment, she looked up at him again, fighting back the tears as she said in a controlled voice,

"Daniel… he laid his cards out and kissed me. I had been dreaming of that moment for years but when it finally happened, there were no clouds, no electricity, no sparks. I felt all of those things with Pete…"

He hung his head, sad, and she continued,

"Even though, in hindsight, I wasn't in love with him. I pushed Gen… Jack away and he guessed that I didn't return his feelings. I then realised who I had really been holding the torch for all of these years, who had always been there for me when times got tough, who looked out for me… Jack didn't rescue me from that Trust ship – you did. I felt your presence when you were ascended although you didn't show yourself to me. Dad told me about when I had gone missing with the Super Soldier weapon, you were the one who actually fully expressed your concern about me. Hell, even when we were on Vagonbrei, when we were the last two awake, you didn't hesitate to help me when I gave up. I guess I've been scared to acknowledge my feelings because you kept dying or going missing, but I'm tired of hiding, Daniel."

He looked up at her, meeting her gaze, and she continued,

"I love you… I'm in love with you – that was what I was going to tell you after _that_ mission."

He stared at her in surprise and amazement, and she rested her back on the stable door, folding her arms across her chest before asking with a sigh,

"Are you happy here?"

Unable to speak, he nodded, and she continued,

"There's a saying, and it goes like this – if you love someone, let them go… so, if you are happy, truly happy, then I'll let you go. We'll go back through the 'gate and never come back – we'll tell the General that you died defending Stateira in a fight. I mean it's not the first time everyone believed that you were dead."

He still couldn't speak, and she said, wiping away a stray tear,

"You've been unhappy for so long and I've been the cause of some of it. I still remember you glancing at me after everyone imagined that wedding with Marty. Jack and I were glancing at each other uneasily but I noticed the glance you shot me, even if I didn't say anything about it."

She sighed and continued,

"Stateira's a good woman, and I can tell that you love her. Just tell me one thing – do you plan on marrying her?"

Flummoxed by the question, he eventually replied, blushing furiously,

"Sam… she told me that she loved me but I told her that I couldn't go further until I had got over my feelings for you… we've kissed a couple of times but nothing more. She's clever, beautiful…"

He trailed off on seeing her stare at her feet, so he gently tilted her face up to look at him as he continued, whispering,

"But she's not you."

He added, "It's not fair on her if I can't give her my whole heart."

She looked away, her chest hurting, before asking,

"Will you come home again? I've… we've missed you. It's not the same with Jonas."

He gently forced her to meet his gaze, saying,

"You've done it again, Sam… I'm going home."

Releasing the tears and anguish of the past year, she pulled him into a hug as he rested his cheek on her hair. He whispered as he gently rubbed her back,

"You've lost weight… a lot of weight."

She whispered back, "And you're a lot more toned than when I last hugged you… listen Daniel, uh, if you get into trouble back home, I want you to know that we'll all be here for you."

"I know… I'll take whatever they throw at me because they can't take away the most important thing to me in two galaxies – you."

They parted, gazing up at each other, and they gradually became aware of their friends making suggestive noises. He tenderly moved her hair out of her eyes as she remarked,

"I think that our first kiss should be a little more private."

He nodded and hugged her briefly before saying,

"I've got to say goodbye to the family… I'm not sure how Stateira will take this."

She nodded, understanding, and without glancing back at their friends, he held her hand as they walked back to the farmhouse. Jack remarked to Cam,

"They're not going through the ring of Uhura without us, are they? Personally, I'd rather stay here then go through… Uhura's…"

He trailed off, and Jonas piped up,

"Ah, General, it's _A_hura Mazda… not the Nichelle Nichols character from Star Trek."

"It isn't?! Oh that's good… I mean the prospect of walking through a woman's… oh crap, sorry Vala."

Vala remarked, "What for? You were saying…?"

Jack shook his head, embarrassed, and Teal'c said,

"You have been missed, O'Neill."


	17. Chapter 17

At the house, Lyncaea, not talking for once, threw herself at Daniel, hugging him tightly and wailing loudly on hearing that he was leaving. He said,

"_I will miss you too Lyncaea… you were like a mother to me._"

Croesus eventually prised his upset wife off the Archaeologist, before grabbing his arm, Jaffa-style, and saying,

"_You will be greatly missed, Indy. My father-in-law's farm will seem empty with you gone. Take care of yourself._"

Daniel knelt on the floor and embraced Gyges around the knees, as was the custom, saying,

"_Farewell Gyges of Miletus. Thank you for taking care of me._"

Gyges, a tear running down his cheek, ruffled Daniel's hair, saying,

"_Indy, you were like a brother, a son and a grandson to me. You improved the running of the farm and helped us a lot. I am forever indebted to you._"

Daniel stood up and saw Stateira in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks. He pulled her into a hug, whispering,

"_You, Stateira, I will miss most of all._"

She asked, "_Do you have to leave?_"

"_I am sorry but my tribe has come for me to fight a war in our world… I must return._"

"_Will you come back? Or has she told you that she loves you back?_"

He gazed down at her, caressing her jaw as he replied,

"_I do not know whether I can come back, so I want you to have this._"

He pulled a necklace from under his robes, taking it off as he said,

"_Remember when we went to Barsine Cove and caught Oysters? I kept one of the shells and made a necklace of it to remind me of the fun we had, and you laughed. I want you to keep this as a reminder of me – to make you laugh when times are tough._"

He put it around her neck before gently kissing her. The shell in her palm, she replied,

"_I have nothing to give you._"

"_You have given me plenty Stateira… you have been a very good friend and almost a sister._"

He hugged her again, before a tearful Lyncaea handed him a neatly folded pile, consisting of his combat gear, radio and firearms. She said,

"_I kept this stored for you, even though you told me to burn them. Here, take it._"

He kissed her on the forehead and replied,

"_Thank you Lyncaea._"

He quickly slipped into another room, putting his combat gear back on, before reappearing as Stateira burst into tears again. He hugged her, kissing her on the cheek, before slowly walking away. With a lingering glance at everyone, he joined Sam at the door before saying,

"_Goodbye my friends._"

--------------------

Outside, when they were some distance away from the house, Sam asked,

"Is it hard leaving her?"

Daniel replied, glancing at her,

"I won't lie to you – it is. I've known her, and the whole family, for over a year. They're like a family to me… kinda like Abydos."

She stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder, before saying,

"Daniel, I'm glad you're ok… what was eating me up the most was the uncertainty of your wellbeing."

He nodded and replied softly,

"I'm sorry for making you ill."

"No, it's partly my fault for being so stupid."

He replied with a chuckle, "You are far from stupid, Sam. Come on, let's get to the 'gate."

She pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tight, whispering,

"I need to know something first – did you mean everything you said in that letter?"

He rubbed her back, replying,

"Yes… although I could have phrased it better – I wasn't myself. I was angry. It was right after I saw you and…"

He trailed off and she held his hand, interlocking their fingers before saying with a smile,

"Come on Daniel – we've had enough fun for one night… let's get you home and tucked in."

He chuckled as they walked towards the 'gate, remarking,

"Oh, so I'm a kid now?!"

"Well, I suppose you'll always be the _General's_ kid… pfft, I'm way too young to have a forty-three year old for a son."

"Hey."

"Come on, I'm three months older than you!"

The sound of their laughter reached their friends who had been gathered in front of the 'gate, and for the first time in around a year, each of them genuinely smiled. As the two scientists came near, Jack remarked with a smirk, pointing towards the 'gate with his head,

"Space Monkey, you comin' through the Hole of Uhura?"

Everyone rolled their eyes, even Teal'c, and Daniel remarked,

"Jaack, it's _Ring _of _A_hura Mazda, not a character from Star Trek! The mental imagery is just…"

He floundered a little, embarrassed, and Sam helped him out by saying,

"Icky."

Everyone chuckled and he flashed her a quick smile, saying,

"Yeah… icky."

Cam remarked, "Funny how you rendered a linguist speechless, Sir."

Jack retorted, "Comes free with being SG-1 commander for seven years… you'll get the hang of it sooner or later."

He turned to Daniel, saying, "C'mere you," before pulling him into a hug, and continuing, "You ever, ever leave me again, and make my hair totally white in the process, I'll drag you through the 'gate kickin' and screamin'… you got that Space Monkey?!"

Cam ruffled the Archaeologist's hair, saying,

"That goes for me too, although you'll be goin' grey long before I do."

As Jack released him, he retorted,

"Age and wisdom go hand in hand… unless you happen to an Air Force General."

Jack exclaimed, grinning nonetheless,

"Hey!"

Teal'c, Jonas and Vala hugged him too, each murmuring a similar threat, before he turned to Sam, who said with a smile, tears in her eyes,

"I'll punch you next time."

As she hugged him, Cam said,

"We're a team and we'll go through whatever's to come, together…"

Everyone murmured in agreement, and Jack said,

"Jonas, dial us home."

"Yes General."

Jack sighed and remarked, "Jonas… for once, call me Jack – you're not military."

Jonas replied with a grin as he moved towards the DHD,

"Yes… Jack."

As the event horizon established, Cam looked around at his happy friends, remarking in glee,

"Yay, the band's back together."

Jonas transmitted the IDC code and Jack radioed Landry,

"Hey Hank… we were strollin' through Perseia and guess who we picked up? Yep, Elvis Presley. Told ya he wasn't dead, but he likes it here so we brought Daniel instead… he'll do. Boy, have you got a surprise in store."


	18. Chapter 18

SG-1 walked through the event horizon back to the SGC, where a large crowd had gathered around Landry at the base of the ramp, with various spectators crowding around Walter in the control room. Daniel turned around to see the wormhole disengage before turning back towards Landry, Jack remarking as he excitedly pointed at Daniel,

"Look who we got."

Landry said with a smile as he shook Daniel's hand,

"Welcome back to Earth, Doctor Jackson."

"Thank you General."

Landry and the spectators took in the sight of the tanned, toned and ever so slightly sun bleached Daniel with surprise, and admittedly awe. Jack remarked, dispersing the crowd,

"Come on, it's Daniel… go on, get."

Sam held his hand as they walked through the crowd and out of the gateroom, Jack in front and the rest of the team behind them. Out in the corridors, various people came out to greet him, many making jokes about him being the SGC's Lazarus as they looked questioningly at he and Sam holding hands. Ferretti bounded up to the 'peoplecade' and exclaimed as he clapped Daniel on the shoulder,

"Boy, oh boy, Jackson, you keep on lookin' better and better each time you come back – what's your secret!?"

Daniel replied as he gazed at Sam with a small smile,

"Hope."

"Aw hell no, you and Carter!? That's not so bad… here's my little Jaffanised blessing… Go forth you beautiful scientists and produce many, many smart ass kids."

Sam and Daniel both blushed as several spectators exchanged confused glances and Jack called,

"Ferretti, let Dannyboy get to the Infirmary – you can hit on him afterwards!"

Ferretti grinned as he put an arm around Daniel, loudly remarking,

"But I wanna do it now!"

The party eventually made it to the Infirmary, Lam shooing out everyone but SG-1 and Jack, before remarking as she looked at Daniel,

"Hm… you keep on going missing and your team's stress level will crash through the roof and hit the moon."

--------------------

Prior to the necessary briefing, Sam slipped into Daniel's office as he pored over a year's worth of work. She perched on the desk, sitting right in front of him and asked,

"Are you scared? Admittedly it's only Barrett but it can get pretty crappy whoever it is when they start throwing their weight around. Plus, there's the whole inappropriate feelings thing."

He replied as he gazed up at her,

"I'm just feeling relief at the moment… and well… love too."

He stood up, cupping her jaw and asked,

"Do you want our first kiss now?"

She smiled, replying, "Sure."

With his other arm around her waist, he leant down and kissed her, gently at first, before taking things up a notch. She snaked an arm behind his neck, another around his waist as she deepened the kiss, feeling everything that she had wanted to with Jack before, and more. They parted, breathless, and he asked softly, a small smile on his face,

"Did you feel sparks and electricity, and were you floating through clouds?"

She nodded, smiling up at him, and replied,

"Oh boy, and then some."

She stood up, hugging him, and saying,

"I missed you Daniel… don't you ever go running like that again."

"I missed you too Sam… come on, let's go face Barrett."

He held her hand and they walked, smiling, out of the door, looking to the future with new hope now that they had found each other. They knew that whatever happened, it didn't matter as long as they had each other, and as long as they had their friends – united they stand, divided they fall.


	19. Chapter 19

Barrett stared pointedly at Sam and Daniel's entwined hands as they entered the briefing room but decided not to say anything about it. As the team, Landry and Jack sat down, he began, shuffling his papers,

"Doctor Jackson, my superiors are concerned as to the nature of your disappearance and there has been talk of pressing charges for misappropriation of a Stargate…"

Jack interrupted, remarking heatedly,

"That line only covers our 'gate."

Barrett said politely, "If you'll just let me finish Sir…"

He continued, "But that is obviously out of the question as the General has just pointed out. _However_, as a member of a combat team, regardless of your civilian status, you were absent without leave during a mission. Luckily the mission did not require your services at a critical juncture, otherwise the line-up here would be very different today. Your impressive service record has held some sway in the final decision. My superiors have decided to take no action but recommend that the SGC put you on trial themselves for your actions due to you not being eligible to be tried in a military tribunal."

Sam squeezed Daniel's hand under the table as he said, fearlessly meeting Barrett's gaze,

"I cannot account for my actions but I can promise that will not intentionally go missing again, unless the situation calls for it, like it did with Adria."

Their friends exchanged doubtful glances, and Barrett asked Landry,

"Sir, will you put Doctor Jackson on trial?"

Landry exhaled and looked at Jack, who said,

"Dannyboy's learnt his lesson… he's not gonna run in a hurry."

Barrett nodded and said,

"The second item on the Agenda… the inappropriate feelings exhibited between Doctor Jackson and Colonel Carter… my superiors are concerned as to the effects of this on the team dynamic and their objective decision making during combat situations. It has already resulted in a team member going missing, and another having a nervous breakdown."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a brief glance before looking at Jack, and the rest of the team followed suit. Jack sighed, made a defeated gesture with his hands before saying,

"You got nothin' to worry about… back when there was… you know… we still saved the day with minimal problems. If you'll accept my recommendation, they'll stay on the team 'cos I feel safe anywhere with those two and T watchin' my back as I'm sure Mitchell will agree."

Cam backed him up, saying, "Yes Sir."

Vala added, "Yep… right on."

Jonas, not wanting to feel left out, said,

"Me three."

Barrett shuffled his papers before everyone stood, and he said with a smile,

"Then it's business as usual."

He shook Daniel's hand and said,

"Welcome home Doctor Jackson."


	20. Chapter 20

Alone at Sam's house, the two of them sat on her back porch in the dark, Daniel asking,

"Do you think we'll be able to do this?"

Sam replied, "It'll be tough but we'll manage… we've been through a whole lot worse these past eleven years… I'm glad that they'll let Jonas stay on the team though – he's so enthusiastic."

He remarked, pouting, "And I'm not?!"

She leant her head on his shoulder as she retorted with a grin,

"You are something else… Indy."

He chuckled, embarrassed, and she asked,

"Why did you call yourself Indy?"

He shrugged slightly, replying,

"I guess it was subconscious – you bought me the entire trilogy after I came back from Abydos."

She squeezed his hand and remarked with a cheeky smile,

"You know, that's going to be like two dreams rolled into one… I can go 'oh Indy' and you won't be offended."

He blushed, exclaiming, "Sam!"

She chuckled and he slipped his arm around her waist, asking softly,

"You really want to… uh… do it?"

She remarked, "Now, I thought a linguist would be able to put it more colourfully."

"I'm saving my words up."

"Oh?"

He gazed down at her before kissing her. He gently eased her down onto the porch, whispering,

"I love you Sam."

She replied, breathless, "I love you too Daniel."

He gazed down at her under him, and asked, "Uh, Sam?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want our first time to be anything short of respectful to you… let's go inside."

She kissed him, remarking with a grin,

"Daniel… don't ever change."

"Hm, I'll try not to… although it would get rather smelly if I wore the same clothes over and over…"

She playfully hit him as he helped her up, and she kissed him before straightening his glasses. He wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on her forehead before they went indoors.

---------------------

As soon as they reached her bedroom, he held her, tenderly kissing her before she remarked, her hands on his chest,

"You're not a bad kisser… for a geek."

He retorted, "Oh… well, you would know."

They kissed more fervently as their hands caressed the skin beneath their clothes. He whispered,

"Sam, I want to make love to you."

"Hm, funny that… I want that too."

Clothes and his glasses flying, they fell onto the bed, kissing, caressing and moaning, feeling the fire growing between them.

She moaned as his kisses intensified, "Oh Indy," which made them both giggle, and he replied,

"Oh Marion."

They giggled between moans, and she gasped,

"Take me now Indy."

"Sure thing, Marion."

He entered her with a thrust, their bodies moving, dancing almost, together to their own rhythm. They climaxed simultaneously, each screaming the other's real name before the fire died down, and he collapsed on top of her. He shifted his weight slightly so that she wouldn't be uncomfortable and she snaked an arm around his neck, whispering before kissing him,

"See what happens when you hold out on your feelings? We've missed out on this."

He retorted with a tired grin, "I suppose that means we'll be catching up."

--------------------

_Finished! Yippee! Do let me know what you think – I'll reply to each review I receive, promise! Thank you so much for taking the time to keep up with the story._


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